Saudi Arabia says war games will boost military ties with Muslim allies

RIYADH, Feb 22 (Reuters) - The Middle East's largest ever
war games are now underway and will boost military cooperation
between the 20 Muslim nations taking part, host country Saudi
Arabia said on Monday, as it seeks to check the growing
influence of arch rival Iran.

The Northern Thunder exercises, which began on Feb. 14 and
will run until March 10, involve more than 150,000 troops from
the Gulf Arab nations, Egypt, Morocco, Pakistan, Bangladesh,
Jordan, Sudan and Senegal.

"The council of ministers ... expressed the hope that these
exercises achieve what was defined as their goals in exchanging
expertise and raising the level of military coordination," Saudi
Arabia's cabinet said in a statement.

The statement also praised "the levels of preparedness and
administrative and supply capabilities" shown by the nations
participating in Northern Thunder exercises.

Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia is concerned by the growing
regional clout of Shi'ite Iran, which has just emerged from
years of international economic sanctions following an
international deal over its nuclear programme.

Riyadh, which is contributing the bulk of the troops in the
war games, is also worried by the reduced regional role of its
key ally, the United States and is seeking to build alternative
military alliances as a counterweight to Iran.

Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition of Muslim countries,
backed by the United States, Britain and France, in a war in
neighbouring Yemen and says it will contribute troops if
Washington leads land operations against Islamic State in Syria.

Its war in Yemen, aimed at restoring a government ousted by
an Iran-allied militia, is part of a more assertive effort by
Riyadh since last year to counter Tehran's influence.
(Reporting By Angus McDowall; Editing by Gareth Jones)